jschipmann

Hopefully the links work, here are some video examples. Ms Pac-Man https://photos.app.goo.gl/48RVsZZVpcfUMzFQ7 Donkey Kong https://photos.app.goo.gl/7jq8GUrAZ7fGf5nRA Hooked to my CRT TV Via S-video cable. So try to swap the GTIA from the 400 to the 800 to see if that works? and then if so get another...

Well... I can now see how busy my life is now that I'm visiting this over one year later lmao. Decided to take a week off of work for a staycation of sorts lol. I've got this hooked back up and have been messing around with it. I took it all apart and re-seated the chips on the CPU card (I'm not sure yet which was the antic and gtia etc...) but I took them out and re-seated either way. I didn't try any contact cleaner yet. However I just a couple weeks ago aquired an atari 800xl, and I happen to have a Atari 400... I assume the 400 would have the same card in it correct? should I try swapping the GTIA between the systems to verify? here is a pic of the one out of the 800: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Uaj1mHQsRiGay23S9

This page? http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/custom-i.htm any advice on common items that may go bad typically on atari 400 or 800 to fill the $20? I'll play some and upload some video to youtube I love tinkering and working with stuff like this, but have a lot to learn!

I thought that was more for color or clocks? ahh I see different modes... so if I open it and see no signs of issues (corrosion, traces, components, solder joints etc) then only option is to source a replacement?

While I still own my original childhood Atari 400.... when Iwas presented with the opportunity to purchase an Atari 800 at a yard sale for $20 I hopped right on it. I got it home, made an s-video cable for it and started testing it out.... only to find out something was odd I'll try to get some pics of it (or video of it in action) but in the mean time I can only describe the problem as the characters or sprites on screen are enlarged. For example on MS Pac-Man, Ms Pac-Man and the ghosts are irregularly large while the maze looks normal. In space invaders everythign looks off and the device you are shooting from to derstroy the aliens is half the screen.... I still have yet to take the system apart fully and check for damage, but I did quickly take the rom and ram carts out of the top and clean thier connections and slots. The same games play fine on the 400, so it is not the carts.

Game specific BIOS for that arcade game it's looking for the game as well as the arcade board

Welp I did the obvious thing....I found an ISO for Shootout at old tuscon and sure enough the unit is functioning and reads / loads the game

removed ROM 2 with no luck still same results.

interesting.... Pebble beach and the 3DO Buffet disc both try to read... and eject (2 attempts and ejects in 10 seconds). I burnt Return Fire.... and it stays in for quite some time withthe access light staying on as if it is trying to load it up...for much much longer. However the disc does eject after a bit. I think it is trying to load it but the second chip is saying hey wait this isn't the game I'm supposed to have let me look further... and then doesn't know what to do so it spits it out.

he mentions return fire works I'll burn that and give it a try, my other 3DO + 20 games will be here this week to try and test those I tried Dragons lair (Burnt) and a retail music CD, neither worked. I now have a 3DO sampler disc and pebble beach retail so I'll try those too. My gamepad from amazon never came so not sure wherethat is.

already did

ctually found one on ebay with a bunch of games and controllers buy it now for $75 of course it is listed as doesnt read disc lol

THE MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED!!!!! This is not an ordinary 3DO unit... This is from an arcade machine that utilized a custom 3DO that used a special BIOS that would only work with that game and hardware!!! That explains why when I try to load anything it doesnt operate as a normal 3DO would. The clues were pieced together by a few things, the first where I purchased it to quote my first post: Yesterday I came across a Panasonic 3DO FZ-1 at an estate sale. This estate sale was unlike no other I have been to in the area as the person was a Arcade / coin op machine repairman. On top of the 3DO I saw 2 things, first the $15 price tag (and there was 25% off that day too!!!) and a sticker indicating a new brush-less motor had been installed. Sadly they couldn't find the controller for it. this is why it doesn't work lmao.. well hell... I ordered a controller for it today lmao

I've been hunting around for CD drives lol I know there was a creative labs model that would work, I come across all sorts of things so it may be a matter of some patience. I'm getting ready to solder a few leads to the test points to be prepped for when I am able to use the scope. I think resistance was 800ohm but for some reason it never went back to that 530 seems the highest I can go now and it goes down to 100 then goes back up... very confusing which is why I want to look at voltage instead and look at a scope with leads instead of using my multimeter lol Actually going to mess around with it for a bit now!

Loaded up a video finally to show it and what it is doing

yes recapped every cap I seen even on CD drive Something that was throwing me off as well was as I adjusted resistence on the laser it looped back around.... even with smaller adjustments it seemed. so the schematic above may help me out a bit in figuring that one out. Thanks for posting the power supply schematic it may help as well just to make sure all voltages are nominal. I'm trying to get a hold of a scope to hook up like gadget UK did to see levels that way. We have some we no longer use at work so may not be an issue to "borrow" one lol It's just been way too long since I have had to delve this deep in to something. Recently picked up a Saturn and a dreamcast both wouldn't read discs, simple enough adjusted laser to spec (or around it) and viola, they worked. This 3DO is just toying with me now lmao. I just cant get past the fact it never puts up the insert disc screen or loads the asteroids screen saver thing.

Out of curiocity anyone know of any service manuals or etc around? Trying to verify the correct voltage needed for the laser to rule that out 100%

Were you able to get the Insert disc screen and or asteroid screen saver after letting the system sit for a bit? That's what is throwing me off.... I can't get that. I don;t have a controller though so I don't know if perhaps it isn't progressing because I do not have a controller plugged in.

any schematics or etc to refer to to know hat voltages I am supposed to get off which areas?

re-capped still no luck. Whats driving me nuts is with no disc in it never goes to the insert disc screen, nor the asteroid screen saver. After re-cap I am still seeing the access light constantly flicker, it is dim not as bright as when you insert a disc, and it is a very fast constant flicker and again does it with no disc in the drive. A bad laser or no controller plugged in shouldn't stop it from going to the asteroid screen saver correct?

Already ordered a cap kit off a guy i bought from before. $10.99 and Free shipping 53 caps in total lol, I like that he has nice step by step instructions (even for someone who doesn't know anything on this he includes basic info) and cap #s with values https://www.mortoffgames.com/3do/goldstar-version/repair-and-replacement-parts132/panasonic-3d0-fz-1-capacitor-replacement-kit Still hunting just in case for a full CD drive, finally got the screws off to disassemble the CD drive to inspect it and caps etc.

I'm already on the hunt for a compatible CD drive / laser just in case. Behaviour is a bit odd though which points to power / laser now. I broke out my archive and burnt a 3DO game to CD-R. I only had verbatim 80 min, and could only burn at 16x.... Anyway I put the disc in, it tries to read it a few times as the screen goes black and goes back to the 3DO logo a few times, and then it ejects the disc. If I use a retail Music CD it does the same but it never ejects the disc..... My thoughts / assumptions so far: The laser Can partially see the burnt CD (I have read it is easier for them to read the burnt dics) but cant read it so it ejects, it has a harder time reading the music CD and doesn't see anything so it thinks nothing is in the drive and therefore leaves the drive closed. It may be reading but something somewhere power wise is wonky. I lean more toward this as I never get any insert CD screen or Asteroids screen saver. I'm going to try to look at all the caps on board today and get their values to make a shopping list, if I don't have them I'll get what I need and begin the re-cap. After re-cap I'll see how it acts and if I can get the asteroids screen saver up. If I can then move on to the laser assembly.

HI everyone first post here and excited to find this community. Recently(now that my son has moved out, and daughter is headed to college) I decided to get back everything I had to sell off over the years (video game collections) to make ends meet, and expand. Needless to say I have gone a bit overboard and even have been picking up broken consoles too to fix and trade or sell to get more for my collection. I love fixing them, it's like rescuing something that would have been doomed for no good reason, especially the simple ones!! I have tons of tools and intermediate electronics experience (I have my own metcal soldering station and reflow air blower, desoldering gun etc etc etc) Yesterday I came across a Panasonic 3DO FZ-1 at an estate sale. This estate sale was unlike no other I have been to in the area as the person was a Arcade / coin op machine repairman. On top of the 3DO I saw 2 things, first the $15 price tag (and there was 25% off that day too!!!) and a sticker indicating a new brush-less motor had been installed. Sadly they couldn't find the controller for it. I get the 3DO home, plug it in grab an audio CD since I didn't have any games handy, hook in to my tube TV and it powers on! As I look at the 3DO logo I thought AWESOME! I eject the tray, pop in the CD, the access light flashes brightly a few times, the screen goes black, 3DO logo appears again, screen goes black, 3DO Logo and the access light goes off.... nothing. I eject the disc out, unplug the machine and open the system up to take a look. This system is incredibly clean...I take the shield cover off the optical drive, plug it all back in and power it on. I can see the laser assembly move around a bit back and forth and bob up and down and can even see the red laser. I eject the tray pop the music CD back in and hope for the best. The CD spins the laser sled moves around, the laser moves around again as the CD spins up faster, then the CD slows a tiny bit bot nothing happens on screen. I'm left staring at the 3DO logo and nothing else. I go back to my desktop and start to do some research. I read that when no disc is inserted the 3DO should show the 3DO logo when powered on then after a bit either show an insert disc screen or a screen saver consisting of asteroids. I get none of this either with a disc in or out, the empty CD Tray in or out, even after an hour of sitting there I assume you do not have to have a controller plugged in for any of this to happen.... is my assumption correct? So I need the advice and help of the repair GURUs, should I go ahead and re-cap the whole thing? I do not see any obvious signs of caps bulging or leaking but I know that can be tricky sometimes as they may not look bad but end up being bad anyway. I'm leaning more toward the board since I am not getting pas the BIOS screen and the CD does spin and the laser assembly moves. Should I reflow solder joints just to make sure of good contact? Peeking around the internet I haven't found anyone with any issues like mine as most everyone says the get the insert disc or asteroid screens. even a few have said they get the no controller screen. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for any assistance!